Luke 7:24-27 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak to the people concerning John… I. IT IS NOT A LINE OF PRIESTS. The principle of the priesthood rests upon a truth, the mediatorial power which man exercises over man. The apostles were in a sense mediators, and so far priests. But the prophecy of old was taken up joyfully by the apostles as the richest tune in the mediatorial kingdom, when the last offices of the priesthood should be taken away, when they should no longer teach every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for all should know Him, from the least even unto the greatest. This, then, is the spiritual priesthood. But the priestly system-1. Removes God from the soul, whereas God is ever near. 2. Degrades humanity, for its language tells us not of the affinity of man to God, but of the immense distance between the two. 3. Produces a slavish worship. Pass on to consider what the ministry is. II. IT IS PROPHETICAL, not priestly. We greatly mistake if we think that the office of the prophet was simply to predict future events. 1. It was the office of the prophet to teach eternal truths. John's only prediction was, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." 2. All the most sublime passages in the Bible are from the writings of the prophets. The priestly writings were but temporary. 3. The difference between the prophet and the priest was that it was the office of the prophet to counteract the priestly office. "Bring no more vain oblations," &c. "Wash you, make you clean." III. THE MINISTRY OF OUR BLESSED LORD HIMSELF, HERE ON EARTH, WAS PROPHETICAL AND NOT PRIESTLY. I lay a stress on that expression "here on earth," because unquestionably He is a priest in heaven above. The high priesthood of the Son of Man is spoken of in the Hebrews. There it is denied on earth, but asserted to be in heaven. "For if He were on earth, He should not be a priest"; in other words, there is a priesthood now, but no earthly priesthood. In conclusion, I notice two points which seem to favour the notion of a priesthood: — 1. Absolution. Unquestionably, there is a power of absolution in the ministry of the Church of Christ, but it is the power of the prophet and not of the priest. 2. Apostolical succession. There is such a thing; but it is a succession of prophets and not of priests, a succession never extinct or broken. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? |
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